Steering-engine controller.



No. 778,186. PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.

J. M. GRAY. STEERING ENGINE CONTROLLER.

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No. 778,186. v PATENTBD DEC. 20, 1904. J. M. GRAY.

STEERING ENGINE CONTROLLER.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 21 1904.

no MODEL; s SHEETS-SHEET z.

4 v J. IVLGRAY.

STEERING EN GINEIOONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1904.

NO MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904..-

UNITED STATES Patented December 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

STEERING-ENGINE CONTROLLER.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,186, datedDecember 20, 1904.

Application filed March 21, 1904. Serial No- 199,311.

To all whom it may conbcrni Be it known that I, JOHN MACFARLANE.

GRAY, a subject ofthe King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing atNotting Hill, in the county of London, England, have inventedImprovements in Steering-Engine Controlceasing to move thesteering-wheel it stops with the controlling-valve in a definiteposition, distant from its central position by an amount equal to just alittle more than the lap on the valve, and the ports being then notquiteclosed continuous leakage is permitted; also, to insure promptnessof action the amount of lap on controlling-valves of steering-engineshas hitherto been restricted to a small amount.

Now according to this invention the controlling-valve may be made withany desirable amount of lap and mechanical means are provided wherebythe steersman can by a definite movement restore the controlling-' valveto its central position in which its liberal lap equally dividedeffectually minimizes the waste by leakage. At the controlling-standard,where the steersman is stationed, on the steering-dial there is anauxiliary pointer centered upon the main pointer, so arranged that whenthe controlling-valve is to be moved from its mid-position the auxiliarypointer alone is moved at first and the main pointer does not move withthe controlling wheel until the valve has moved to the extent of itslap, when the engine With further movement of the wheel the main pointerwill also move and indicate the actual position of should be beginningto move.

the rudder. In this way greater precision in operating the rudder issecured. When by reversing the movement of the controllingwheel therudder is again-brought to its midship position according to the mainpointer, the auxiliary pointer will be its full travel out to the otherside'of the main pointer, and the controlling-valve will then be nearlyedge to edge upon its ports and so facilitating leakage. Thecontrolling-wheel is then moved so as to bring the auxiliary pointer tobe again central upon the main pointer, and by this return movement thecontrolling-valve is likewise brought to its middle position upon itsports with the lap equally divided between the two ends, and therebyleakage is minimized, the increased la'p permitted by the use of theauxiliary pointer greatly contributing to this result.

The essence of this invention is the auxiliary pointer denoting the laptravel of the Valve, and the invention may be carried out in differentways by substituting any other suitable mechanical equivalent for theauxiliary pointer.

Examples are illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

Figurel is a face view of a controller-dial with the simplest form ofauxiliary pointer, and Fig. 2 is aseotion of the same corresponding tothe line A B of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views to Figs. 1 and2, respectively, showing a modified construction and arrangement whereinthe auxiliary pointer has an exaggerated travel. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 arediagrammatic views.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a is the spindle of the controller-index,which has hitherto been fitted with only one pointer. .It is connectedto the controlling-valve of the steering-engine in any suitable manner,making the backlash between the steering-wheel and the auxiliary pointerequal to the backlash between the steering-wheel and thecontrolling-valve. a is a collar on the spindle a. Fixed on the spindlea is the auxiliary pointer b, which is adapted to drive the main pointerf bya pin 0, that extends into a concentric slot f of the main pointer.This pin is in contact with the face of the dial 9, and its length issuchas to maintain suflicient space between the auxiliary pointer andthe dial to prevent ,driving friction between the two pointers Z) and f.The main pointer is split at f where it surrounds the boss g of the dialg, and is bored out with spring on it, 'so that when in its place itgrips the boss g with sufficient friction to insure that the mainpointer f will not move unless pushed by the pin 0.

the pin 6 engages, and its inner end embraces a pin 6, which is fixed inthe main pointer f, so that the angular movement of the auxiliarypointer b is an exaggeration of the movement of the arm 6'. The pivotingand driving of the auxiliary pointer 72 is arranged so as to compensatethe backlash of the controllinggear, the required play being provided bymeans of the slot 6 The pivoted end of the auxiliary pointer b is split,as shown, to enable it to grip on the pin a with slight friction, justsufficient to insure that it will only move when pushed by thedriving-pin 6 When the auxiliary pointer b has moved into the positionshown in Fig. 3, the controllingvalve has moved from its centralposition to the extent of the lap and the engine is just beginning tomove. The auxiliary finger is then in contact with the driving-lug ofthe main pointer f, so that any further movement of the auxiliarypointer b in the same direction drives the main pointer f along with it,and the movement of the latter then represents movement of the rudder.When the main pointer f is again brought to midship or steady position,the auxiliary pointer b will be as far to the other side of the centerline of the main pointer f, and the controlling-valve will then be edgeto edge onits ports. The steersman, allowing time for the rudder tofollow the index, will then move the steering-wheel to bring theauxiliary pointer to be central upon the main pointer f. This movementshifts the controlling-valve to its middle position in which the lap isequally divided and thereby leakage is minimized.

Fig. 5 shows a controller-dial g, furnished with auxiliary pointer b andmain pointerf, diagrammatically connected to the controlling-valve it ofa steering-engine, the valve being in its middle position upon its portswith the lap equally divided between the two ends, and the auxiliarypointer a being in the corresponding central position upon the mainpointer f. z' indicates gear for operating the valve. Figs. 6 and 7 showthe valve 7t moved to the extent of its lap in opposite directions, theauxiliary pointer 6 being its full travel out to the respective sides ofthe main pointer f in the positions corresponding thereto.

What I claim is- 1. In a controlling device for marine steering-engines,the combination with an engineeontrolling valve, of actuating means forsaid valve, and means arranged to be operated bysaid valve-actuatingmeansand adapted to indicate the position of said valve within theextent of its lap travel, substantially as set forth.

2. In a controlling device for marine steering-engines, the combinationwith an enginecontrolling valve, of aetuatingmeans for said valve, acontroller-dial, a controller-index spindle driven from saidvalveactuating means, and means arranged to be moved by said spindle andadapted to indicate the position of said valve within the extent of itslap travel, substantially as set forth.

3. In a controlling device for marine steering-engines, the combinationwith an enginecontrolling valve, of actuating means for said valve, acontroller dial, a controller-index spindle driven from said valveactuating means, means arranged to be operated by said spindle andadapted to indicate the position of said controlling-valve within theextent of its lap travel and a main pointer arranged to be moved by said\"alve-positionindicating means, substantially as set forth.

4. In a controlling device for marine steering-engines, the combinationwith an enginecontrolling valve, of actuating means for said valve, acontroller-dial, a controller-index spindle driven from said valveactuating means, a main pointer, and a valve-positionindicating pointerarranged to be moved by said spindle and adapted to move said mainpointer but capable of a limited movement independently thereof,substantially as set forth.

5. In a controlling device for marine steering-engines, the combinationwith an enginecontrolling valve, of actuating means for said valve, acontroller-dial, a controller-index spindle driven from said valveactuating means, a main pointer mounted on a boss of saidcontroller-dial, and a valve-position-indicating pointer arranged to bemoved by said spindle and adapted to move said main pointer but capableof a limited movement independ ently thereof substantially as set forth.

6. In a controlling device for marine steering-engines, the combinationwith an enginecontrolling valve, of actuating means for said valve, acontroller-dial, a controller-index spindle driven from saidvalveactuating means, a valve-position-indicating pointer arranged to bemoved by said spindle, a main pointer, and stops on the main pointerbetween which the valve-position -indicating pointer is arranged to workand through one or the other of which the said pointer is adapted tomove the main pointer, substantially as set forth.

7. In a controlling device for marine steering-engines, the combinationwith an enginecontrolling valve of actuating means for said valve, acontrolling-dial, a controller-index spindle driven from saidvalve-actuating means, a main pointer, a valve-position-indieatingpointer adapted to move said main pointer but capable of a limitedmovement independently thereof, and an arm arranged to be moved by saidspindle and adapted to move said valve position-indicating pointer,substantially as set forth.

8. In a controlling device for marine steering-engines, the combinationwith an enginecontrolling valve, of actuating means for said valve, acontroller-dial, a controller-index spindle driven from said valveactuating means, a main pointer, a valve-position-indieating pointeradapted to move said main pointer but capable of limited movementindependently thereof, a pivot about which said valveposition-indicatingpointer can turn, and an arm arranged to be moved by said spindle andadapted to move said valve-positionindicating pointer about its saidpivot-pin, substantially as described.

9. In a controlling device for marine steering-engines, the combinationWith an enginecontrolling valve, of actuating means for said valve, acontroller-dial, a controller-index spindle driven by saidvalve-actuating means, a main pointer mounted on a bossof saidcontrollerdial,avalve-position-indicating pointer formed with a slot, apivot-pin on the main pointer about Which saidrialve-position-indieating pointer can turn, an arm mounted on saidindex-spindle, a pin fixed to said arm and engaging the slot of saidvalve-position-indieating pointer, and stops on the main pointer betweenwhich the valve-position-indioating pointer is arranged to ork andthrough one or-the other of which it is adapted to move said mainpointer, substantially as set forth.

Signed at London, England, this 11th day of March, 1904.

7 JOHN MACFARLANE GRAY.

Witnesses:

J OHN HUGH RAMsAY FIELD, H. D. J AMISON.

